Bottle-filling machine



(No Model.)

W. M. FOWLER.

BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE. NI. 594,392. 1.3 Patented Nqv. 30-; 1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MILES FOWLER, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.

BOTTLE-FILLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,392, dated November 30, 1897. Application filed July 24,1896. fierial No. 600,331. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MILEs Fow- LER, of Stamford,in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bottle-Filling Machines, of which the following is a specification. Y

My invention relates to an improvement in bottle-filling machines in which provision is made for turning any drip which may occur through the air-escape passage of the filler into a bottle or other vessel which is to be or has been filled.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a View in perspective of so much of the machine as will suffice to illustrate my present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section, and Fig. 3 represents views in detail of the split wedge-shaped ring.

The general structure of the machine may be quite similar to that shown, described, and claimed in my Patent No. 554,999, of February 18, 1896, and need not be particularly described herein.

The reservoir from which the fillers depend is denoted by A, the filler by B, and the bottles to be filled by C. The bottles are arranged to be fed in banks of six (more or less) to positions beneath the fillers, and when in position the fillers are lowered into the mouths of the bottles and the liquid allowed to flow into the bottles until the air-escape openings in the fillers become closed by the rise of the liquid.

In the form shown and described in my patent referred to the air-escape conduits led from the ends or near the ends of the filler up through the reservoir and into air-tight.

My presentinvention provides for the escape of the small quantity of liquid held suspended in the air-conduit into a neighboring bottle or other vessel by turning the course of "the air-conduit in such a direction as to cause its open end to enter the mouth of a neighboring vessel to be subsequently filled or which has been previously filled at the same time the filler enters the mouth of the bottle to be filled.

The air-escape conduit is denoted by b, and from its point of termination at or near the end of the filler, lower than the lower end of the liquid-discharge conduit 12*, it extends upwardly along the interior casing of the filler to a point above where the filler enters the bottle and then turns either forwardly or rearwardly (in the present instanceforwardly) in a general horizontal direction and terminates in a socket b. A tube 19 is bent to form a downwardly-extending portion to enter the mouth of a bottle and a horizontal portion to enter the socket b. The tube 19 forms a continuation of the air-escape passage, and it is constructed to be adjusted to bring its downwardly-extending end into alinement with the mouth of a neighboring bottle by sliding its horizontal portion a greater or less distance in the socket b. The adjustment is conveniently effected by making the end of the socket somewhat flaring, as shown at 6 and providing a split wedge-shaped ring D, surrounding the tube 19 at the entrance of the socket and adapted to be forcedinto the space between the flaring wall of the socket and the tube by means of a cap-nut E, which has a screw-threaded engagement with the socket, and a flange 6, which engages the end of the wedge-shaped ring. By turning the nut in one way and loosening the wedge-shaped ring the tube 19 may be slid to bring its dischargeend nearer to or farther from the filler to suit the distances between banks of bottles or other vessels of varying sizes, according to the particular use to whichthe filler is for the time being put, and when properly adjusted it may be locked in position by screwing the nut on. As the fillers are depressed to fill one bank of bottles or other vessels to be filled the tubes 12 will be lowered into the mouths of a neighboring bank of bottles or other vessels and the small quantity of liquid which may have been suspended in the airescape conduits during a previous operation of the fillers will be discharged from the tubes 19 into the said neighboring bottles, thereby rendering the machine cleanly and clearing the air-escape passage with facility to permit the prompt discharge of the liquid into the bank of bottles in which the fillers are for the time being inserted.

It is obvious that slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the construction herein shown and described; but

Vhat I claim is- 1. The combination with a filler, of an airescape conduit leading from the filler into position to enter the mouth of a receptacle at the same time the filler enters the mouth of another receptacle, the said air-escape con- 

